Iowa’s Capitol has been under construction on the exterior as officials work to reorganize state government from the inside. (Photo by Kathie Obradovich/Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Three state legislative races are going to a recount as of Monday, the deadline for candidates to request a recount. One congressional candidate has also requested a recount.
Candidates had until 5 p.m. Monday to submit their requests for a recount – in state law, required within three days after a canvass, which was Friday for some counties.
Two of the races with contested results are for Iowa Senate seats. In Senate District 14, Republican challenger Mark Hanson announced Friday that he plans to seek a recount in his race against Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott, D-Waukee. Trone Garriott currently leads with 24 votes, and declared her victory with results canvassed Wednesday by the Dallas County Board of Supervisors.
“The canvass today reaffirmed what we saw on Election Night; our campaign has won and I am honored to have earned the votes to serve in the Iowa Senate for the next four years,” Trone Garriott said in a statement. “The election is over and Dallas County residents have spoken. My constituents have re-elected me to preserve our freedoms, make the cost of living more affordable, and fight for our public schools, and I’m ready to get back to work.”
Sen. Nate Boulton, D-Des Moines, has also requested a recount in Senate District 20, where he is 44 votes behind Republican candidate Mike Pike.
In House District 98, GOP challenger Nathan Ramker requested a recount in his race against incumbent Rep. Monica Kurth, D-Davenport. Kurth currently leads with 45 votes.
The recounts requested will be conducted by a board consisting of a representative from each campaign as well as another neutral member agreed upon by both parties.
If the number votes separating the candidates is 50 votes or 1% or less than the total amount of votes cast, the state will pay for the cost of the recount. If the margin of victory is greater, the candidate requesting the recount is required to pay for the procedure.
The results of these recounts — even if seats flip from current results — will not impact control of the Legislature. Republicans maintained their trifecta in the 2024 general election, maintaining their supermajority in the Iowa Senate and expanding to a supermajority in the Iowa House.
Bohannan seeks recount in 1st Congressional District
There will also be a recount for the Iowa 1st Congressional District race. Democrat Christina Bohannan announced Thursday that she was seeking a recount in all 20 counties for her race against U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who leads by 802 votes.
Miller-Meeks’ campaign criticized the recount request, saying that “Bohannan and the Democrats remain election deniers” for not accepting the results.
“This is a delaying tactic to thwart the will of the people,” Miller-Meeks’ campaign said in a statement. “A recount won’t meaningfully change the outcome of this race as the congresswoman’s lead is mathematically impossible to overcome.”